Just like in life everything in excess is usually not the best thing. The same goes to artificial lights in photography. I love outdoor portraits, but I also like to mix lights for ultimate control of mood and emotions in my photos. Flash photography is often disliked by many people and the reason for it is simple. It is not about mastering flashes and exposure, but about falling in love with light and effects that you can create with it. Set exposure and measure light with your soul not the light meter. That is the key. Attune to your model's mood or evoke one, whatever you do the light quality should complement it, without drawing too much attention. You are painting with light, not following math equasions.

model: Mina

It depends on the effect you are going for but if you want to create an illusion of natural light with flashes then the key is to tone down the flash power and (often) use color gels that will complement colors or shift them to your liking. This photo that you can see above was shot few minutes before the sun dissapeared behind the horizon. The ligth was too weak to shoot crystal clear portrait but the light color was amazing, and the softness was too good to ruin it. I shot this at 1/250 so max shutter speed that my camera syncs with the flash (HSS would not give me enough power from one flash gun). I had to dial down the flash manually untill it felt right, I do have light meter but honestly I rarely use it. I used double diffusion with CTO gel for the flash to warm the light up. I callibrated WB with XRITE color checker before applying the gel, so then the orange cast would add on top of the corrected color. That gave the illusion of sunset color. Photo was cross processed so the final tones have shifted anyways (see the video below which shows my photoshop editing workflow) but it is important to have a good color base, esepcially for portraits.

Experiment with light and forget about TTL if you are not in a hurry. And quite frankly I never am. I create image after image and time doesnt bother me. I do not care how long I have to shoot to get what I want. Also, you should master photo editing and preferably in Photoshop or any program that gives you superb control over layers and offers non destructive editing. Leave Lightroom for lazy people and those who edit their photos in bulk. They lack respect for their own work. Portrait editing is an art and requires time (see my 5h long in-depth photoshop tutorial on portrait editing), patience and vision. Get it right in camera for me means two things: to capture beautiful light and natural body language. The rest I not only can, but WANT to play with in photoshop. I love doing it.

Go outside and learn how the light works, study it and appreciate what it can do and what you can do with it. You will see world in a completely new light.

If I do not say this no one else will. Fuck what others think. Photo retouching is an art and as an artist you are free to do what you feel is right. It is you who decides which way to go, and all you need to listen to is your intuition and heart. Art is about searching your path, constant improvement via experimenting. There is no room for fear and concern about what someone may think. Most of the people have an artistic sense of a boiled potato anyways, and are so jaded and brainwashed with constant flow of junk on Instacrap that they do not know what is art and what isn't anymore. They cannot function without being told, because it makes them feel safe and attached to a trend or social circle. There will always be those who appreciate your art and those who don't. You do not create for them, you create to stay alive and content. you create because you cannot live otherwise.

model: Apple

For me photoshop is like a gateway to freedom of expression. It all starts with a blank sheet or some raw ingredients in a form of images and I can do whatever I please. Every image has its energy, its aura and it will guide you though the process. Sometimes I immediately know how I want to edit an image, and often I shoot with a vision of editing. Nonetheless I may just change my mind half way, or wait even few weeks until I grow up to editing certain photo. Just like a seed planted in your imagination photos will grow on you.

All that however does not excuse ignorance and pigheadedness. Keep learning, discovering, looking around you and listening to your models. Some of them can have seriously cool ideas, just like the model you see on the photo above. She said "can you make me matte black in photoshop?" And I thought "hell yeah". Lots of them are performers or artists. Those ideas will challenge your creativity and skill. Artists should be like kids who learn while and through playing. Be mindful in your play but at the same time lose yourself in it.

Complete portfolio in full resolution: http://ponte-ryuurui-photography.smugmug.com/Portfolio

Portrait photography, as anything in this world, undergoes constant evolution. The times change, the reality changes and so do we. Initially portraits photos were very stiff, everyone was posed in similar fashion, lighting was very predictable, and the photo retouching possibilities was quite limited. It was as if people were afraid to come out with their ideas.

model: Eccaia

Ever since photography went digital, a whole new set of options become available, including complex photo manipulations and composite photography. Combine this with modern 3D model rendering and digital painting, and the options become literally unlimited. I am in love with what modern technology offers to us artists, and I am embracing it completely. If you follow my blogs or social media you know how much I stress the importance of photo editing. It is yet another tool for delivering and executing my artistic vision.

100% crop - head details

I treat every photo shoot very personally. I try to bond emotionally and understand anyone who appears in front of my lens. I seek the connection between the scene, personality, mood, light,colors, etc. It is all relevant, but only when seen as one, just like puzzle elements. Photoshop allows me for building on top of what I have captured, and I can tell you that I am one of those very few photographers who will never say "I prefer to be out shooting than sitting at my computer inside photoshop". They have no idea how insanely helpful photo retouching can be in improving the quality of one's photography. I cannot stress enough the importance of details in any type o photography. In portraiture, a simple gesture or misplaced shadow can ruin the entire photo. If you shoot without stopping to think about it, you will never catch those nuances.

100% crop - body details

Now, photo manipulation goes far beyond any conventional portrait photography. Not to mention it is so much fun I can completely disappear for a week while working on a single image. The shot you see above took me nearly 40h inside photoshop. Attention to details and is essential. All of my images are impeccable on pixel level, and I often work zoomed in more than 200% into the image to make sure I get things not just right, but perfect. You can watch this video to see how I created this artwork (below), or any other of my photoshop manipulation and digital art and high-end portrait retouching speed art videos on my YouTube channel.

I love fantasy and science fiction themes, and you can view some of the examples of my photoshop manipulation on my portfolio. All concepts are original and I do not model myself on any images found on the net or art books. I become inspired by situations, thoughts, shared ideas, or even computer games, but I never copy anything. Just like my Chinese characters tattoo designs my photoshop manipulations stay fresh and unique. In the near future I have plans on including calligraphy in my cyber manipulations.

If you are interested in having your photo manipulated please contact me directly. For photoshop manipulations that include a photoshoot, please bear in mind that I am a photographer in Tokyo area, but will consider shoots outside Japan. Prices of my photoshop manipulation and composite photography service vary, depending on the complexity of the image and type of work (commercial or private use). Please mail me directly to inquire for details.

Complete portfolio in full resolution: http://ponte-ryuurui-photography.smugmug.com/Portfolio

Do you need dreamy meadows and morning sun piercing through the fog to capture very soft and ethereal images with white vignetting around the edges to empasise the softness? Not really. In fact low key dramatic images that remove the background can be even more sublime than anything else. So what is the secret then? The mood and the post processing. And post processing is VERY important. The mood is something that you capture or evoke. It is happening during the shoot. As a photographer you need to build a connection with your models and learn their body language. How they react, behave, their face mimics, emotions and how to spark them, and so on. This is why I usually work alone, one on one with whomever I photograph. For me portrait photography is like ambient music, it is a one giant tunnel you walk into, or a beam of channeled energy that cannot be disconnected. If a model gets distracted, there goes your shoot or at least a theme.

model: Eccaia

The post processing is a massively important. Regardless of how soft your lighting may be if you do not know how to deal with harsh shadow transitions and how to accent certain areas like reflections in the eyes, or how to make other parts of the image become less visible and intrusive, you will not be able to achieve this result. It is a combination of mattified skin, smoothed out highlights and shadows, very selective contrasting and balancing the darkest and the brightest tones. Black and white is not always the way to go. Light and mood in your image is like music. Listen to it, and then you will know what genre it belongs to.

Last but not least, the composition must be in symbiosis with the mood and editing. You need to place your model in the frame according to the feel you are going for, or even better so - the feel you are capturing. Sometimes photographers focus so hard on what they envisioned that they are blinded to what is actually happening. Capture images like an artist not like a craftsman. Capture what you feel not what you see. Be like attentive and sensitive to what is going on in front of your lens, and learn how to adjust instinctively. It is good to have a concept for the shoot, but spontaneous moments make the best photos. It should not be your job to know how not to miss them. It should be your second nature and passion.

Complete portfolio in full resolution: http://ponte-ryuurui-photography.smugmug.com/Portfolio

Photo retouching is a complex art and it comes with countless options and possibilities. In fact, the only limitation is your skills and imagination. Color grading is one of the last steps in my editing workflow in photoshop. It is best to leave coloring and toning until the image is fully edited. Any changes to contrast, sharpness, vignetting, etc. will amplify or reduce colors and saturation. Those always effect toning and mood of the photo so again it is best to wait till you are sure that the image is finalized.

model: Apple Nicole

Having said that, very often it happens so that I revise my editing either after I finish working on it, or the next day. While retouching a photo I change the zoom very often, so I switch between details and global scale all the time. It is possible to miss certain things when I am redirect a narrow focus to a problem area. It is essential to review your work after you are happy with the final result. If you are a obsessed with details like I am, you will always find something to be fine tuned.

The way you color grade your image will depend on the model, mood, lighting, retouching style, your photoshop knowledge, artistic concept and vision the photo was taken with, and so on. There is no recipe for photo toning and no preset that should be applied. Every single time you will encounter different colors on your images, so the color values that you will apply during toning should match those. Applying presets and photoshop actions is a lazy way out and produces rather poor results. Take your time, look at the building blocks of the image and try to sense what type of toning would fit this particular photo. It is your art and your decision, do not let presets created by others mindlessly decide for you.

Human skin is very complex in terms of tonal shifts and colors. Depending on the light used during the shoot, you can achieve different results. Light decides everything: mood, composition, colors, tonal shifts, and so on. Then, during photo retouching, you will need to deal with things like color casts, skin blotchiness, imperfections of skin texture, shadow and highlight bending and uneven transitions between them, discoloration in highlights and excessive saturation in shadows, difference of skin color temperature or even hue depending on the size of the light source used, etc.

model: Nami

Photo retouching is an extremely powerful tool which allows me to complete my artistic vision. I do not care about how things should look like, all I care about is what feel and mood I want to convey. Photo retouching should not be a result of happy accident or what you think others will find appropriate, but a creative tool for finalizing YOUR idea. The same as with photography rules, you master those to break them. Composing a photo is like falling in love, you feel it, you do not think about it or analyze it. There are no limits to art, as long as it does not feel forced or fake. Photography and photo editing should be naturally inspired by what you see and what it makes you feel like. This is also why taking time to choose photo for retouching is of no less importance than the editing process. Not rushing through the retouch or using photoshop presets mindlessly will only benefit you at the end.

If the toning does not match the mood of the photo it will be a visual cacophony. You are composing a symphony, and all the instruments have to be in tune with one another. But understanding all this is not enough. You need a good connection with your model or client, a connection strong enough for you to either capture an emotion that is real and not staged, a moment in between if you will, or be able to evoke it. Only then you will fully understand the mood of your own photo. At that stage a direction in which you should take your retouching will become clear.

Whenever I edit my photos my paranoia kicks in before I even start retouching. I can spend an hour deciding between photos to edit. It is all down to finding that one photo with perfect body language, or even merging elements from various photos to achieve that goal. I do not care how I get there, all I care about is great creating images with fluid and undisturbed energy flow. There has to be a balance of elements and this is why post processing plays a huge role in my photography.

If you watch my speed art videos in which I edit my portrait photos, you will notice that very often I work in great zoom, 100% - 400%. It is essential for skin editing and making sure that skin pores are not damaged, also it helps a great deal during skin mattifying (micro dodging and burning), which is done almost exclusively on skin pore level. All my portfolio photos are in full resolution at 300dpi, so everything is out in the open. There is a lot you can get away with in resized photos, especially if they are full or half length portraits.

model: Yayoi Kawahara

If you are serious about portrait editing you will appreciate its complexity. Whether it is removing distracting elements that ruin the composition, skin editing, global tonal adjustments, color cast and blemish removal, matching skin tones, blending shadow to highlight transitions, adding new complementing elements to the photo via compositing and photoshop manipulation (like drawing hair by hand for instance), contrast and micro contrast adjustments, sharpening, texture repairing, etc., you have to remember that the devil lurks in details so once you take care of all those things that are not visible immediately, all the elements of the photo will start falling in place. And that is why single portrait photo retouching can take between 1.5 to 4h. There are no shortcuts or plugins that can get you there faster and allow for the same level of quality. There is a reason why some of the best things in the world are hand made. Automation is great, but far from perfect.

If nothing else, remember this - portrait photography brings responsibility. As a professional you are responsible for how your model looks on your photos. It is your job to make sure you have done everything that justifies their time or money spent helping you to create images. A great photo can be ruined by poor editing, so if you respect your models you will make sure you have done your absolute best not just during the photoshoot, but also in post processing.

In short, about 2 to 3 hours, because this is how long it takes to retouch a portrait photo on a professional level. Photo retouching is not a skill, it is an art, and for me it is a valid and essential part of my photography service. Not everyone can appreciate the importance and impact of photo editing because this is something that is done behind the scenes. It is a process you most likely will not witness personally as a model or a client, but it is always greatly appreciated when compared and explained.

Portrait photo retouching is a complex process of refining tonal shifts, removing color casts, redirecting or emphasizing the main subject or area of interest in the photo, removing distractions, reorganizing and tiding up shadows and highlights, finalizing the artistic vision of the photographer, amplifying the existing feel or creating a completely new mood in the photo, creating a completely new image via composite photography or an artistically enhanced creation though photo manipulation (fantasy, sci-fi, abstract, etc.), and so on.

I am an artist, not just a photographer. I do not capture images I create them, and pressing a shutter on my camera is merely a part of the entire process. Portrait photo retouching is my passion just like photography, Japanese calligraphy, book writing or any other artistic endeavor that I am engaging in. I love photo editing so much that I can easily take an hour only to look through already pre-selected photos from a given photoshoot to choose the one I think is the best in terms of body language and quality of light for editing. Time wise, photo retouching is far more time consuming than a photoshoot itself and can take several times longer than image capturing. I will give you an example. Let us say a photoshoot lasts for 5 hours and 600 images are taken. Now if I pick 10 photos for editing and spend 2.5h on each, that sums up to 25 hours in photoshop alone. That is 5 times longer than the actual photo shoot. A single complex photoshop manipulation can take over 24 hours to complete.

In the era of digital photography photo editing options are limited only by the skill and imagination of the artist, and it is a never-ending journey of discovery and learning. Every photo is different, every person ha sits own personality and mood. I do not use any ready made presets in my workflow and each photo is manually retouched, toned and finalized. Every photo is yet another day of the great journey.

First thing to realize is that you should usually retouch women and men differently. Most of the retouching techniques are identical, but they are applied with different strength or in a slightly different manner. For instance, the most obvious would be skin retouching, which is a huge part of any portrait editing workflow in photoshop. In most cases, for girls, you will emphasize smoothing not only tonal transitions but also invest lots of time on skin texture smoothing, preferably via the taxing process of micro dodging and burning. Now, men usually look better in hard light and with rougher skin texture. Sometimes you will even want to enhance that roughness, it all depends on what sort of effect you want to achieve. Since women look better in soft light (although not always), naturally you will want to make therm appeal softer. That leads to the contrast (for example though macro dodging and burning) and micro contrast intensity issue (it is a rather vulgar comparison but think here in terms of clarity slider), which can be easily cranked up when you work on male portraits. Even tonal transitions can be harsher in male portraits, but this is not always the case. You will also spend more time on removing imperfections and skin blemishes in female portraits. For men, you can either remove them, or reduce their visual impact, or leave them as they are. Regardless on what you decide, always pay attention to the mood and light

quality in the photo, and the purpose the photo will serve. This applies to both sexes. For instance if you are shooting a headshot for an actor, you will want to stick to the original as close as possible, where in a promotional portrait for commercial website, you will want to make your model look as good as possible, and draw the attention of the viewer to their personality and aura, rather than face features. Below video is a speed art of a portrait edit in photoshop that I did for a friend of mine, a fellow photographer John Becker. The aim of the photo was to display him as a professional with a really sunny and outgoing personality (a mixture of confidence with accessibility), which is exactly who he is in reality.. Black and white high contrast edit allowed me to redirect the attention from the face features to face expression and the eyes. I also lowered the tonal value of the background. The light was very soft, so soft you could call it dull. I had to be really careful with skin retouching and I did very little of micro dodging. At the end of the video you can see a RAW file and final image comparison, so you can easily assess how soft the light was (only ambient light was used, no modifiers or reflectors). If you would like to learn more about professional portrait editing techniques watch my full length in-depth 5.5h long tutorial. Here is a link to a quick guide video.

Portrait retouching is a complex and time consuming process, and requires not only very advanced technical skills and knowledge of Photoshop or any other professional software for image post-processing, but most importantly artistic sensitivity and vision, understanding of human anatomy and proprieties of light and how light behaves in real life, and tremendous amount of patience. There are many plugins and ready made solutions that cut corners, but if one wants to achieve stunning results it is all down to manual work in a digital dark room. Every photo is different, has different toning, lighting, mood and composition. Consequently every photo should be approached individually with care and understanding. When I capture portraits with a camera, I envision how I will edit them. For me a great photograph is a harmony between the body language, captured emotions or moment, quality of light, compelling composition and complementing retouching. All elements are absolutely essential.

model: Diana

I am currently creating a series of videos showing my full portrait editing workflow. You can watch parts 1 to 3 on my Youtube channel already. Part 4 is currently being edited, and I will be recording part 5 this week. The entire series will be about 5h long and it covers not only retouching but also my thought flow on choosing a photo for editing and reasoning behind my choice. It is an extensive guide to high-end portrait retouching including various techniques and photo editing methods. I will be posting videos part 1 to 5 below.

Cropping images is an art and it is the final touch to your photo just like the seal of a Japanese calligrapher pressed at the very end on the work. There is a saying that goes "印鑑までの作品", which means "a (perfect) work (is one that goes) all the way to the (author's) seal". The same in photography, cropping is a very powerful tool in your photo editing arsenal. Most of my portraits are cropped in camera during shooting, but sometimes I create composites or change the background, like in this photo of Katie. She was cut out and placed on a new background, and since she wanted a circle shaped final shot I had to place her in the dead center of the frame (see the photo to the right). Now I would never shoot a portrait this way, unless it was for a poster with some promotional materials or texts waiting to be added, then I would make space for it. So, I had to go in and crop the image to make her really shine. Below you can see 5 different crops that I created and all of them have a slightly different feel. Crop 1 would be sliced in the headshot style for corporate use or for a bio on a website. Do not be afraid to cut tops of the heads, but when you do that make sure it is balanced with the space below the chin and around the face. Also pay attention to the background texture, it is important that it does not overpower the face, which is the main focus (scroll down to read more).

Crop 1

Crop 2 is a perfect square, which is a common format used by social media pages. Two things you need to remember when cropping images for such sites. 1. the are in square shape, and 2. they are usually tiny, so make sure that the face is filling the frame as much as possible. I placed her a bit to the left hand side of the frame, to create asymmetry which is perfectly empowered by the intersecting diagonal lines (created by both shoulders and the eyes). This creates an illusion of a triangle shape, and goes well with slanting lines of the background. Dynamic crop introduces movement and since she looks dynamic and jolly it fits perfectly.

Crop 2

Crop 3 is what Katie wanted for her page. Here I placed her eyes along the center line and cut off part of her right shoulder. The leading lines of the jacket going up and then curving with her face outline to the right forces eyes to circulate, which supports the shape of the crop. Note that Crop 1,2 and 3 have a corporate feel with emphasis on Katie but there is enough space for the background building to be registered by a viewer as an important element of the photo, even though it is out of focus. Background can be a powerful ally.

Crop 3

Crop 4 is more centered and looks it gives Katie more powerful image. Her being in the center suggests control, but at the same time her cheerful smile makes her approachable. This is a cross-over between a corporate shot and a more casual profile photo for a webpage. This could also be cropped lower, which would cut the top of her head and showed a bit more of the neck. I cropped it this way to move her eyes to the center.

Crop 4

Crop 5 has a corporate feel again, but it is in a vertical orientation. I sliced the right shoulder and emphasized the other one which is in perfect alignment with the building. The part of the building to the left frames her from the other side and it creates a narrowing effect which pushes the viewer's eyes to her face. Those buildings also create a natural vignette which introduces contrast and redirects the attention to Katie. She is a bit off center to the left, which balances the way she stands, the direction she is facing to and mirrors the direction the light is coming from.

If you are looking for a professional portrait photographer or need your profile photo or headshot taken, then you should consider a unique offer of my studio in Tokyo. I am a multi-genre artist with nearly two decades of experience in visual arts. In addition to professional photography service I offer high-end magazine quality photo editing. Each of photos that leaves my studio and is being delivered to my clients received a special and individual attention. No presets, no bulk editing, it is all done manually and with care. Now many people realize that photo editing is a very old practice, and it was also performed during film days. Digital photography era offers much more control and many more options as well as more precision and refinement. Photo editing process is very time consuming and requires artistic skills and a vision. Editing and photography is linked strongly together and non-edited images do not look professionally. They lack the final polish, impact, contrast, custom color toning, shadow smoothing, blemish removal, composition adjustments, etc. Whether you plan to use the photo for promoting your business or for private purposes, it is always a good idea to get the most out of the experience, and have a nice memory for later years of for your closest ones.

I am a perfectionist, I edit my images on a pixel level, so even a 100% crop looks flawless

Watch below video to see a photo editing workflow sped up 5000 times, which shows in a timelapse-like fashion the entire editing process of a single photo.

Video is sped up 5000x so might seem a bit fast, but it is done so on purpose to compress the footage and create a quasi timelapse, and so you can easily see the process that every single portrait that I work on goes through.

Photo editing is essential in the era of RAW digital photography. Majority of people do not realize that professional photographers do not take photos in.jpg format, but in RAW file format. If you set your camera to produce .jpgs, then the camera does the editing for you. It is the same as setting camera to automatic mode and let it do all the job. No good photographs can come out of such practice. RAW files straight from the camera are flat and without much saturation or contrast, though it all depends on the type of camera used and lens quality. The whole idea of shooting in RAW is to post process the image in Photoshop or Lightroom, and imbue it with personal style. However, portrait editing is not all about removing skin blemishes and smoothing the shadows to make skin look more relaxed and even. Color toning is something that can change a good photo into an amazing one just by skillful adjustments done to colors and tones. Toning changes the mood, look and creates this magazine look that people tend to enjoy, but are not sure why. Professional photo editing could be compared to music in a movie. If you notice the music and it is too obvious you will not enjoy it. Best music is one that fits, but you perceive it only on subconscious level without noticing it is there. For private photoshop workshops via skype please contact me directly or see this page.

When you film moving people in any type of motion, there is a good chance that they will look natural. Now a still photo is a whole different story. Most of photos showing movement will look unnatural and unbalanced, and that is because they freeze one frame of a sequence of moves that only if combined together in fast motion bring balance to that action. In this photo I was photographing a performing belly dancer and shot maybe 25 frames out of which 2 were fairly good, but still not good enough for me to call it a perfect shot. So, I realized that if I combine 3 photos into one in photoshop and select gestures that would show continuity and add some meaning and reason for this pose it will make more sense and balance the photo. Knowledge of how to post process your photos will not only vastly improve the look of your images and give them a unique look, but it gives you freedom of following your vision as an artist, not just a photographer. If you are interested in learning photoshop, contact me for more info.

Everyone can take a snapshot, a few can take a photograph, even fewer can make it fine art image. But for me capturing a photo is merely half way, if not less. Photo editing this days is either abused by those who search for shortcuts, photographers who want to mass produce their images by one-clicking a preset in Lightroom that will edit 100s of photos in minutes, or underestimated by the viewers. We live in era of Instagram garbage, small screens on which you can barely see anything, and so many photos online that no wonder people have troubles with recognizing what is the difference between quality work and something rather dull just colorful. Editing for me is an art form, and one has to be an artist to be able to edit images with a vision, sense of beauty and consistency of ever-evolving style. Being a multi-genre artist, I enjoy merging various forms of visual arts together, be it digital art and photography, creating photo manipulations, or by merging Japanese or Chinese calligraphy art of my authorship with my photography. Calligraphy can be intimidating due to its highly abstract nature, but when accompanied by an image, it much more approachable and perhaps can be appreciated from a different angle.

No matter who I am photographing, I always say the same thing - I need good light and natural body language, and the rest can be fixed in post production. Modern photography is all about those three elements, and retouching is a seriously underestimated powerhouse. If you are a pro or amature photographer, and especially if you are a portrait photographer, you must learn photo retouching or else your photos will be weak. And I do not care about what all the "pure photography" idiots tell you, they just jealous, lazy or not talented enough to be able to work their own photos. I go even further, I think that post processing is more important than shooting, and the reason for this is simple - the possibilities you have with photoshop (forget lightroom and all the presets, leave that crap for lazy people), provided you have an artistic sense and vision, are endless. For anyone interested in private photoshop workshops, see here. Portrait editing is all about fixing all small issues that we all have as humans, like tiny skin discolorations, skin unevenness, over pronounced features due to unfortunate lighting, things that mess up the compositions but could not be dealt with in camera, and so on. If your editing skills are low, you are stuck with what you capture. Photography is not about what you capture, but what you want to share and show. Photography should not be a xerox copy of reality, but an image of a combination of your own artistic vision with the energy of the unique moment in time that you have witnessed.

I love all types of portrait photography, and I too think that natural light is simply amazing and hard to beat, however, flash photography offers so much more control that is is difficult to pass on. If you are a natural light photographer only you are limiting yourself very substantially to the ambient light, i.e. available light. Once the night comes, and the wonderful city lights pop out, you are packing and going home. Now flash photography allows me to shoot all day, 24/7 regardless the light. In fact, I can create night during a sunny day, remove ugly distraction from he background, and control the power, ration and colors of the light. I can set up white balance to one setting, slap on a gel or two on my speed lights and create mood that otherwise would be impossible to capture. Here is a portrait of Nicole, a model and a singer from Scotland taken outside on the evening street of Shibuya in central Tokyo. If you are visiting Tokyo and wish to have spectacular photographs taken, that will make you feel great not only about yourself but also create unforgettable memoirs from your travels, then contact me and book a shoot!

I love black and white photography in portraiture. There are no distractions, only 256 tones, and it looks clean, simple and has a great visual impact. It all depends on the type of portraiture, but most portraits look best in black and white. Below is a short video showing my Youtube channel though, and I will be creating more full length in depth tutorials, so make sure you check it out! I took this photo some time ago. I am currently revisiting my older work and re-edit some of the photos. I love photo retouching, I love giving my work new fresh look, and every photographer should review their portfolio once in a while. I do it almost every 6 month to a year, as my skills in editing and vision and style evolve. It is good to keep your photography portfolio up to date and consistent, so the clients know what to expect and they are not getting confused by contradicting styles.

Sci fi, future, computers, spaceships, warp gates, oh I love it all. Portrait photography can be creative and fun, but photo editing has no limits at all. The only limit is the skills and imagination of the artist. I LOVE changing my models into hot cyborgs, ordinary scenes into sci fi landscapes, and currently I am studying 3D art and software so very soon my art will take another leap forward into the future. Every photographer can take a portrait, better or worse, but for me it is only step one. If you are interested I am always on a look out for new models, and by models I do not necessarily mean professionals. If you want to have a photo like this one, contact me and perhaps we can schedule a shoot! Below is a video of me working on this photo, it is a sped up version of few hours of editing. Enjoy!

Portrait photography requires special attention and care in terms of photo retouching. Editing a portrait photo, especially a close up head shot, is a time consuming and tedious process, that could take as long as 3 hours. It can be very creative, especially in the area of coloring and refining the style of the final image. Many photographers out there use Lightroom or Photoshop presets (mainly Lightroom as it is a photographer oriented software, and it is much easier to use than Photoshop due to its user friendly interface and intuitive sliders). Others outsource their editing work, which is usually a result of them not being able to do it themselves, or simply not having the time, or simply they do not like editing. I believe than photo editing is an integral process of photography art as a whole. I cannot imagine allowing others to imbue my artwork with their style. Portrait photography is extremely intimate, and it requires a lot of trust, a good connection and it is tied to specific emotions and place in time. Those cannot be comprehended ir emulated by a third person, i.e. a third party photo editor. I take photographs with a vision of image editing. I can visualize the final photo when \I am pressing the shutter. How can I explain my artistic vision to a third person who edits photos for tens of photographers. I love editing my photography, it is a great fun and inseparable part of my photography service. Below is a sped up video (3000x of a normal speed) of a high end portrait retouching process, which in reality took 2h and 30 min to finish. Photography is a visual art, and editing my own work is as important as any stage of image creation. If you are interested in learning how to edit your own photos, have a look at my photoshop workshops, be it one to one or online lessons, and also my YouTube channel where I have published many of my photo retouching and photo manipulation tutorials. You will also find a lot of learning materials and interesting articles on my main page blog at www.ryuurui.com